Analysts on Wall Street were blown away by Apple's blistering holiday 2011 quarter, and promptly revised their estimates even higher following the news.
The iPhone could see huge sales numbers in Asia as the region's burgeoning smartphone market has been largely untapped, with only about 22 percent of carriers selling Apple's handset, according to a new analysis.
After Apple's quarterly earnings failed to live up to Wall Street consensus estimates, some analysts have labeled the September quarter a "transitional quarter" for Apple, while remaining reassured that the first quarter of iPhone 4S sales will make up for the so-called "hiccup."
Following Apple's unveiling of the iPhone 4S on Tuesday, Wall Street's response was relatively subdued, though analysts remain optimistic that Apple sales growth will continue to rise.
Investment bank Morgan Stanley took the position on Monday that Apple is "more likely than ever" to return some of its $76 billion in cash to shareholders and recommended either share buybacks or dividends as the most favorable options.
Responding to the news that Steve Jobs is stepping down as Apple CEO, Wall Street analysts affirmed the company's position, predicting a relatively uneventful transition for the company and calling Tim Cook "the ideal candidate" for the role.
While the move may be good for the parties directly involved, Google's purchase of Motorola is not expected to have a major effect on Apple, Wall Street analysts have said.
Wall Street analysts were stunned by Apple's record quarterly earnings on Tuesday, noting that there seems to be no end in sight for the company's "upside parade."
Apple will begin production of fifth-generation iPhones in August ahead of a projected late third quarter launch, according to intelligence obtained by one investment banker's recent trip to Taiwan.
Fresh off a meeting with senior executives at Apple, Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty said the company sees product cycles as being driven by software rather than hardware and is expected to announce major software updates at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June.
Slowing shipments of PCs have prompted some analysts to revise their 2011 PC shipment estimates downward over concerns that Apple's iPad is eating into sales of PCs.
Apple's 10-Q form filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has revealed the largest sequential increase in purchase commitments for a March quarter to $11 billion, as iPad 2 production ramps up.
Wall Street was impressed with Apple's record earnings for the second quarter of fiscal 2011 on Wednesday, as one analyst calling the company a "magical growth story" and several firms raised their revenue estimates for future quarters.
According to one analyst's checks with Apple's Asian suppliers, the company is in the process of building a 'Smart TV' prototype as part of an ongoing effort to assert a stronger presence in consumers' living rooms.
Wall Street analysts reacted positively to Apple's unveiling of the iPad 2 on Wednesday and remained optimistic about the company's continued ability to lead the tablet market, though they viewed the refresh as mostly "evolutionary."
The most likely use of Apple's secret $3.9 billion long-term supply investment is for tens of millions of displays for the iPhones and iPads the company plans to sell in the near future, one Wall Street analyst believes.
Apple's earnings for the first quarter of 2011 crushed analyst expectations on Wall Street, who heaped praise on the company for beating estimates by $2 billion.
One Wall Street analyst said Tuesday that global CDMA carriers, including China Telecom and Indian carrier Reliance, are expected to begin carrying the new CDMA iPhone 4 "over time."
Though it still recommends the stock to investors, Morgan Stanley this week removed Apple from its "Best Ideas" list, citing the company's outperformance of the market over the last six months.
Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty described China as an "unappreciated" potential growth driver for Apple, setting a $375 "base case" target for the company's stock and a "bull case" scenario where Apple shares could reach $500 by next fall.
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Neil Hughes
Mikey Campbell
Josh Ong
Sam Oliver
Daniel Eran Dilger
